Top 5 Friday: Favorite Italy Moments, Part 2

Part 2! There are what seems like infinite favorite Italy moments - so here's part 2 of my post - moments 6-10 :)

#10: Photo Shoot in Faro with Rachel

To know Rachel and I is to know that we are a little crazy, definitely NOT conventional, and we'll find ways to have fun pretty much anywhere. But one of my favorite moments in Italy was when we went to Capri together (following my first trip in June) and did something different from my first trip - took a bus to Faro, the point of the island. An impromptu photo shoot ensued, with each of us taking pictures of the other. Lots of silliness. Then we discovered the self timer on Rachel's camera, and got my favorite picture of us of all time:


August 2007

I still have this picture framed, it was such a fun moment and very special that Rachel flew over to visit me that August!

#9: My first weekend - trip to the countryside

I arrived in Italy in a whirlwind, and promptly crashed an intern's birthday party (thanks Alison!). I was also invited to a weekend day trip to the Roman countryside, which just goes to show how amazing the intern culture was at WFP. I found myself in a beautiful country house with a pool in the backyard, two tables full of Italian food and groceries, cooking up a storm in the kitchen with my now dear friend Cristiana. I'm not much of a chef now, but this gave me the confidence I could cook for myself and Italy, and more importantly, that I wasn't going to be lonely while I was there. Over 4 years later, we're still friends, and this is a memory that never fails to make me smile.


June 2007

#8: I bought my first painting.

I'd had my eye on the beautiful paintings in Piazza Navona the entire 7 months I lived in Italy. Finally, the week before I was heading home, I broke down and spent the last bit of my savings on a gorgeous original painting. I fell in love with it immediately and successfully bartered the price from 400 to 180 euros. It took an hour and a half. I am terrible at bartering, but I literally could only give the painter the money I had. It turns out when you literally have no more money, you turn from a pitiful barterer to an excellent one. This was such an important moment because it was my first painting, and unlike any of my other purchases (boots, bags, etc) this was one that will be in my home for the rest of my life. And it started the trend of collecting original artwork, which now fills my home with color and happy memories :)


December 2007

#7: I found my apartment

This happened just days before memory 9, but it was a very important day! I had seen an apartment the day before that I really didn't love - and couldn't see myself staying at despite the very nice roommate. I heard about an apartment I'd seen on a listserve and had really no idea where it was, so I gave myself 2 hours to find it. And yes, it took the entire 2 hours wandering around the Marconi neighborhood to find the teeny tiny Via Giuseppe Zamboni street where this apartment was. But instantly, I loved it. Bright blue walls, posters of Marilyn Monroe, and 5 closets - yes this would be home for the next 7 months! I had a very nice landlord and a door to the terrace, and just a short walk from the train station to work. I was clueless but I didn't give up - and I found an apartment I absolutely loved living in :)


June 2007

#6: crashing grandma's 80th birthday party with Courtney

If anyone could find trouble in Italy, it would be my partner in crime Courtney and me. We took a two day trip to Orvieto, Italy and went to a restaurant recommended by my mom's best friend, Gamin. It was called Il Funaro, and it was a restaurant built into a cave with excellent food and wine.


April 2010

After dinner, we heard music coming from downstairs and ventured down to take a peak. It was an old woman's birthday and she was surrounded by her family and a piano player. We turned to go back upstairs but with Courtney's broken understanding of Italian we learned we were invited to stay. We couldn't speak the language but we could drink and dance, which is all that counted. For almost 2 hours we danced and laughed - and Courtney got hit on in Italian by the woman's son who was still way too old for her! And we had a blast. To me, this epitomizes Italy and everything I love about it. And we had fun dancing, too ;)

Top 5 Friday: Favorite Italy Moments, Part 1

I seem to be missing Italy a lot this week, so it seemed appropriate to have a two-part Top 5 Friday: favorite Italy moments. For anyone who knows me, Italy has a special place in my heart and has been pivotal in shaping my life. I first traveled to Italy in 2005 when I was living in London, and my life was forever changed. Then in 2007, at only 21 years old, I packed 3 suitcases and moved to Italy for 7 months. I returned in 2009, 2010 and again in 2011.

The following are the top 5, as hard as it was to narrow down. Part II will have some other special moments, but these are my favorites:

#5: The four cheese gnocchi at La Bottega del Cafe

I first discovered this dish in June 2007 when I went to La Bottega with a group of interns because Alison had heard about it. I gravitated to that dish and to this day, I've never had anything else at this restaurant as my main course. It is my favorite pasta dish I've EVER had. Done to perfection. Simple. Rich. I've had it at least 20 times that I can recall. And I return every trip to Italy - and I have this dish.


June 2007

#4: Siena with my mom.

My mom didn't have a lot of vacation time when she flew to Italy in September 2007 for my 22nd birthday. It also took a fair amount of convincing for us to go to Siena and not Florence, as I'd been to Florence and told her since she isn't that big into museums she probably wouldn't love it. Siena was magical. It was crisp and cool weather, sunny and clear skies. We stayed at an upscale bed and breakfast with a balcony view of the Siena skyline.


September 2007

Our first morning sporting plush bathrobes, we drank the most perfect cappuccinos and enjoyed a delicious breakfast spread as we dined on the terrace. We did some sightseeing for sure, but this is the moment I remember the most. The other from Siena is walking the fortezza, with a view of Siena on one side and the Tuscan countryside to the other.


September 2007

All in all, it was the most wonderful way to turn 22.

#3: The top of Capri


June 2007

For this one, the picture comes first although it pales in comparison to the experience. It was like heaven, floating above the blue green Mediterranean Ocean with the Amalfi coast misty in the background, the landscape of capri falling behind us. It was the moment I remember thinking this just can't be real, it's better than reality. Capri was like a fantasy, and I hope one day to return.

#2: Taking Nate to Villa Borghese

I spent a lot of time in Villa Borghese during my March 2009 trip, but it was my picnic lunch with Nate that was the perfect day. It started in Campo d'Fiore at 10am, purchasing bread, cheese, meat, croissants, olives, strawberries, and more cheese, followed by a short ride on the 116 bus to the park. Villa Borghese is the largest park in Rome and it's missed by so many tourists. It's absolutely lovely, with picturesque trees and lush grasses.


March 2009

Of course, nothing compares to taking the person that you love, who is on his first trip out of the United States, to this place. We laid on the blanket after eating all the delicious Italian food, just looking at the trees and enjoying the moment. It was cool and sunny, the perfect weather, with the perfect person, relaxing and loving life. Oh, and eating strawberries ;)


April 2011

#1: My first glimpse of the Colosseum.

What could beat my perfect picnic in the park? My first moment in Italy takes the prize. I was 19, summer of 2005, living in London and liking it - not loving it. I'd flown into Rome's Ciampino airport, but due to changes in my fellow students' itineraries, this first moment I was alone - which was probably a good thing. My hostel was near Termini so I hopped on the Metro and got off at the best-sounding stop I saw - Colosseo. I took the fortunate exit that spills you out just across the street from the Colosseum. It was literally larger than life. I felt like everything else in life just disappeared. I'd never seen anything like it (no offense to London). I fell in love with Italy in that moment and if not for it, I never would have returned to live there in 2007. I'm a homebody by nature, and even remembering the feeling I had in this moment it was still very hard to get on that flight for 7 months, going to Italy alone. This moment set the rest of it in motion, and for that I will always be grateful and will never forget it.


July 2005

Stay tuned for part 2 - which holds another set of memories from Italy that are near and dear to my heart!

Birthday & Housewarming Party!

After Nate and I moved to our new apartment we tried, very unsuccessfully, to have a housewarming party. Summer was just too crazy there was never enough time! So when I realized my birthday fell on a Saturday, I thought it would be great to have a housewarming/birthday party! So glad we did too - it was such a fun Saturday.



The BEST surprise was when at 9:30am my little sister knocked on the door! I had no idea she was coming and it was such a fun surprise! She helped me and Nate grocery shop and cook all day - we made TONS of appetizers. We had Swedish meatballs in a mushroom cream sauce, cranberry brie bites (Jenni's recipe, so easy and so good!), mini french onion quiches, Italian stuffed mushroom caps (stuffed with fontina, parmasean cheeses, and diced sundried tomatos and celery), homemade pumpkin bread, homemade guacamole, salami prosciutto and mozzarella platter, ranch dip and veggies, and macaroons from a nearby bakery. It was super good:



So much has changed in a year in NYC - we have amazing friends that came by! Josh & Melissa, Nate's best friends from college:



Our friend Etienne, awesome guy and amazing trumpet player!



My piphi friends that I met through the alumni club - Jen and Lauren!



Amanda, a fellow ACR and PiPhi, and her boyfriend Steven:



And lots of friends from work!



I feel so lucky to celebrate with awesome friends and family! It was the perfect day! Thanks to everyone who made it special, especially my sister and sweet boyfriend!

A Very Babbo Birthday

This year for our birthdays, Nate and I decided instead of gifts, we'd rather have an experience! So a month ago we made a reservation at Babbo, Mario Batali's West Village Italian restaurant. I'd been before with my parents years ago (almost 10!) and knew it would be great and that Nate would love it!

We did the pasta tasting course which was AMAZING! We also did the wine pairing with each course, which really added to the experience. Both of our favorite pastas was the Garganelli with Funghi Trifolati, a mushroom cream pasta that was out of this world good! It was also paired with a delicious red wine. We each had a different dessert and I loved mine as well - an olive oil rosemary cake with olive oil gelato - sounds weird, but it's really great especially for me, I'm not a super-sweet fan and I prefer dark, bitter, or salty desserts.



It was an incredible birthday experience and I'm so glad we did it! Happy 28th birthday to my sweetheart and happy 26th birthday to me!